Pistachio JAMMY EYE Cookies
I love this type of cookie where two crumbly shortcrust pastries enclose so much delicious cream and the pistachio ones are among my favorites.
Jammy eye cookies are delicious shortcrust pastry treats typical of South Tyrol with a round shape that are usually filled with apricot jam.
Extremely crumbly, they derive their name from their appearance, as they are two overlapping round shortcrust pastry discs and the top one has a hole in the center from which the filling slightly protrudes, resembling the appearance of a sunny-side-up egg.
Like every traditional recipe, there are different versions, and the one I present to you today was “given” to me by a pastry chef from Alta Badia whom I met during a snow vacation. The only variation I made is the pistachio cream filling.
Making Jammy Eye Cookies is extremely easy and quick, and you certainly don’t need to be a cooking expert; just follow a few simple tips, and you’ll get a perfect result.
To begin with, I always recommend using top-quality ingredients starting with butter, then very fresh eggs, and once the dough is obtained, it will be essential to rest the shortcrust pastry in the fridge to get perfect cookies during baking that do not deform. Also, pay attention to the thickness of the cookies, which should be as similar as possible and not too thick since they need to be paired and overlapped.
According to the original recipe, they are round but with this base, you can make them in many variations: heart, star, flower, and also for the filling, you can let your imagination run wild based on your tastes and replace the pistachio cream with the jam you prefer or with Pastry Cream or Nutella.
Perfect to serve with a cup of tea or for snack time, but also for a rich breakfast or as a gift packaged in tin boxes.
If you love recipes from Trentino and South Tyrol, don’t miss these as well
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: about 20
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 447.41 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 45.44 (g) of which sugars 18.87 (g)
- Proteins 9.20 (g)
- Fat 26.25 (g) of which saturated 11.24 (g)of which unsaturated 7.00 (g)
- Fibers 1.95 (g)
- Sodium 78.61 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 65 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 oz oz butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks (about 80 g)
- 1 lemon zest (organic)
- salt (a pinch)
- 1 cup cup pistachio cream (or jam or hazelnut cream)
Tools
- Mixer
- Cookie Cutter
- Baking Dish
Steps
The butter should be soft, so take it out of the fridge 5 minutes before preparing the shortcrust pastry, then put it in a bowl (or the mixer) cut into cubes, add the sugar, grated lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Knead until you get a homogeneous consistency. At this point, add the egg yolks, one at a time, and continue kneading until they are incorporated. Finally, add the flour and knead until it is completely absorbed, obtaining the classic consistency of shortcrust pastry.
Shape the shortcrust pastry into a rectangular block not too thick, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours. After the time has passed, take it out of the fridge and work it for about 2 minutes, just long enough to make the pastry elastic again. Roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut out the cookies with a round cutter and arrange them on a baking sheet with parchment paper. In half of the cookies, make a hole in the center with a smaller round cutter. Bake in a static oven at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Slightly mix the pistachio cream to make it homogeneous and velvety, pour it into a piping bag with a plain nozzle. Put a drop of cream on the uncut cookie, sprinkle powdered sugar on the surface of the cookies with the center hole, then place it on the cookie with the pistachio, applying slight pressure. Here are your delicious Jammy Eye Cookies with pistachio cream ready!
NOTES
You can also prepare the shortcrust pastry the day before and let it rest in the fridge overnight covered with plastic wrap.
The baking time for the cookies may vary slightly depending on the type of oven and the thickness of the pastry.
It is possible to replace the pistachio cream with hazelnut cream, Nutella, or any type of jam.
STORAGE
If you fill the Jammy Eye Cookies with spreadable creams, jams, or marmalades, it will not be necessary to store them in the fridge, but simply place them in a cookie tin. However, if you choose to fill them with pastry cream, you will need to store them in the fridge where they will keep for a maximum of 3 days.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Why is this cookie called Jammy Eye?
The name of this Jammy Eye cookie comes from its appearance, similar to a large eye, where the filling in the center – usually jam – resembles a pupil.
Original Jammy Eye Cookie Recipe
The Jammy Eye is a typical Italian cookie made of two layers of round shortcrust pastry between which jam or chocolate spread is inserted. The top layer of shortcrust pastry has a hole in the center that allows you to see the filling. The Jammy Eye Cookie is a typical dessert from Trentino-Alto Adige, particularly from the South Tyrol area where these cookies are usually made with apricot jam.
